Spin casting style fishing reels commonly have a molded plastic body having axially aligned hollow bosses at its two sides to receive bearing sleeves for the crankshaft by means of which the line pickup mechanism is operated for retrieving line. For ease of assembly, it is desirable that the bearing sleeves slide into the mounting bosses from the outside, and this, then, requires that when the reel is assembled there be some means for retaining the bearing sleeves in the bosses.
It has heretofore been known to provide some means for clamping the bearing sleeves, but this can result in sleeve distortion that interferes with free rotation of the gear crankshaft.